Combined tail lamp and stop light



Jan 6, 1931.

/fll

Filed April 26, 1924 uuu H. C. WHITE COMBINED TAIL LAMP AND 'STOP LIGHT'2 sheets-sheet' 1 Jan 6," 1931.

H. c. WHITE 1,787,843

COMBINED TAIL LAMP AND -STOP LIGHT Filed April 26, A1924 2 sheets-sheet2 Patented .lan.l6, 1931v UNITE n sir ras HAROLD o. WHITE, OF LAKEWOOD,otIIo; AssIoNoE, BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, To nELco REMY oonroEe'rIoN,l orANnEE'sON, INDIANA, s. coE-ronArIoN'oF DELAWARE COMBINED TAIL LAMEANnsToP LIGHT Application filed April 26,

rlhis invention is acombined stop and tail light tor use upo-n the rearend ofV an automobile and serves the `double purpose ofv disn playingthe usual tail light, and 'flashing a warning signal `at the rearwhenever the speed of vthe automobile is checked soas to give a warningsignal to the opcratorofthe car behind. y

Heretofore combined stop and tail lights have been provided inwhich ythecasing has been divided into compartments, and each compartment yhasbeen provided with a lamp receivingvsoclret and also with plugconnections for establishing the line connections with the lamps.v l uThe object of ther present invention to greatly simplify theconstruction of the combined stop and tail' light by thevprovision of anovel construction of partition which serves the triple function of1subdividing the casing into two compartments, providing thereceivingmeans for the incandescentlamps and also thefreceiving vmeansfor the plug connectionswhereby the conductor wires are con! nectedtothe lamps. 'i Y i j Another objec ofthe invention is to provideforsimplicity `of structure and ease oi manufacture Asothat the costiofproduction can be materially reduced and at the same time improvelthequalityiof the article as 'a whole.

With these'vvarious objects in viewthe in-V Y vention consists primarilyin providing a subdividing partition `for a' lamp casing said partitionbeing of such a nature as to provide receiving v portions for theincandescent lamps, and also provide al suitable socket for the'plugconnectionfor theconductors, said partition also serving asa convenientpoint of attachment for the'front of the lamp casing. The inventionconsists also incertain/details of'construction and no-vel eaturesofcombination allfof which will be fully described hereinafter andset-forth in the jappended claims.

.Inthe drawings forming a part-"Of this specification Fig. 1 is a faceview -of a combinedisto'p and tail light embodying 'myjinrY vention;Fig. 2 lis a, verticaly sectional View, the incandescent lainpsbeingshown in'l eleva- 1924. serial No. 709,118.

tion; Fig. 3' is a face view ofthe casing with the partition arrangedtherein; Fig. 4 is a` plan view of the frontr ring with the partitionsecured thereto with the casing removed; Fig.`

In carrying out my invention I employ substantially cylindrical sheetmetal casing" lOto which is applied a front ring '11. The ring 11 isdished as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

An annular cork washer 17 is secured on the A face of the casing andover this washer there is providedL an 'annular ring member 16 as shownin Fig. 2. -The stop light glass 14 and` the tail light glass 15 arecarried by thering member and clamped between the ringfand the annularmember .16. `The stop light glass is preferably formed with a prismaticback arranged in advance of the cork packing vsheet 17, this sheetl'beingk preferably formed with openings 1lia cut in the form "of lettersto provide the word Stopk or any other-warning legend. 'lheironty ringis provided lwith anv inturned portion which engages with an overhanging peripheral portion on the casing which serves to hold they ringmember inplace on the casing.`

An openinglO?L is of vthe casing said openings being normally closed bymeans'o-t a curved glass 1()b secured within the casing by means ofclamps 10C as shown in Fig. 3 so that rays of light may be i projecteddownwardly upon the license plate which is usually'arranged beneath thelamp casing. l

The casing lOjis dividedinto an upper'and a lower compartment by meansof a horizontal partition plate 18 which is substantially flat and isprovided with downturned aperturedears 18a and adapted to be rigidv lysecured to `the front ring bymeans of screws 19 and nuts 19a. A 1S isprovided witha cut-out portion asv seen in Figs. 4 and 5 which isadapted to receive a. socket 20a. The, socket 20a, shown in detailprovided in the bottom The partition plate vio is adapted to receive anincandescent lamp,V

and in punching the openingv 2l guide tongues 2lb and 2lcareprovidedpreferably at oppositelyv disposed points in order to provide'ample bearing for the socket of the lamp 23. The lower half' of thesocket is provided with a similar aperture for receiving the lamp 245.Thot-wohalves when secured as described forni a socket-which extendsrearwardly through an opening in the rear of the casing and is securedto the casing by means.Y

of the. collar and nuntr25a.v

Y Thepartition plate is also provided with oppositel'y extending lugs lland' 43` which receiveand support reflectors l0 and 42', respectively.The reflector for the tail light may be omitted` if desired' as shown in2.

It will now be clear that if eachhalf'of the `socket is senil-circularthat when the twoV halves are secured together as hereinbeforedescribed, that they form a substantially cylindrical socket which isattac-hedfto the partition plate and to the casing l0.V The incandescentlamps are arranged one Yabove the lothercn opposite sides 'of thepartition plate in close proximity to each other, and inpractice itisusualt-o have'the Vup-perllamp of higher candlepower than the'lowerlainp Vlien'the two halves 20s are fastened to the partition plate18 they willprovide a cylin-l drical socket as vpreviouslydescribed andin which Ycontact platesfor the incandescent lamps can becarried andinto which aplug can be fitted for the purpose of establishingelectrical connectionsffor the lainpsand the completed cylindricalsocket vwillhave'the usual bayonet slot 20d for the purposesofsecuringthe plug in the cylindrical socket.

Two Contact plates 27 are employed, one

for eachr lamp and each platel has a Hat rear Y portion 26 apertured at26V'`J vand is formed cri wll

with flange 26d `at the extreme rear end. The opening 26b is for the'purpose of receiving coil spring 30 and a tongue 26C is formed at one orboth ends of the opening for the purpose of positioning the end or endsofthe coil spring thereon and thereby holding the spring within theopening.v The forward portion of the Contact plate is bowed as-shown V'at 29, this bowed portion cont-acting with .the lamp terminal andvassisting throughl its ref siliency in maintainingthe lamp' secure asthe springa'ction of the V Contact plates serves to maintain thelaterally projecting pins of the lamp socket in engagement with theportions 21. The contact plates 27 with the springs 30 arranged thereinare held between the insulating blocks 31 and the blocks with the platestherein are then inserted between the portions 20a. The blocks aresemi-circular inv cross section as shown and are formed withsemi-circular shaped recesses 32 and slots 33- communicating therewith,Athe recesses 32 receiving the springs 80 and the slots 33 receiving theside edges of the contact plates. The springs 30 yieldingly hold members26 in cont-act with the lamp terminals whether or not the usualconnector plug, not shown, is in place inthe outer end of thecylindrical socket formed by the members 20a. The rear flanged ends ofthe contact vplates project rearwardly into the cylindrical socket intowhich the plug is rfitted and the eXtreme forwardV ends of the contactplat-es contact with and bear upon a strip of insulating material 35held in a recess in the partition 1S as most clearly shown 'in Fig. 2.This permits a definite amount of sliding movement of the con tactplates when establishing connection and permits the utilization of theresiliency of the bowed rportions of the plates for maintaining thelamps firmly in position. By having the tonguesr26c projecting into theopening 26b the springs are quickly and easily positioned within saidopenings and then become a component part of the contact plate and thispermits: the quick and easy assemblage of the Contact plates between theinsulating blocks. A j

A The partition v18 shaped as described and having the socket 20asecured thereto as described and connected thereto provides not only apartition for subdividing thecasing into two compartments butitalso`provides the receiving portions for theincandescent lamps andlikewise the plug .receiving means and socket cooperating therewith, andall of these vvarious parts are quickly and easily made and connectedtogether, and when assembled provide a lamp. which is simpler and moreeiiicient and' durable than those heretofore constructedbut one whichowing to theV novel features of' construction Acan be manufactured at aconsiderably less cost. It' will thus 'be seen that I provide acombination vlamp of such construction that all of the objectshereinbefore recitedrcan be accomplished.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaimis: Y

`Vl. vIn a device of the kind described, the combination with a pair ofapertured flat spring contact plates, of coil'springs Yarranged in theapertures of-said platesycomplementary insulator blocks having opposedslots'slidably' receiving the intermediate portions of said plates',rthe ends ofv said plates protruding' a'tthe ends of the blocks and op'-rno posed recesses receiving the springs andfa openings at the forwardend, insulating means fitting in said cylinder, contact plates carriedVby said insulating means, 'and having their forward and rear endsprojecting from said means and springs carried by said plates withinthegmean's and arranged to yieldingly hold the `plates in position.

3. In a lampsocket the rcombinationof tubular means formed atoneend toreceive the usual connector plug and `at the other end to provideasocket for receiving-a lamp bulb,

i a bulb in the socket, insulating Vmeans fitted within and between theends of the tubular means, said insulating means being provided y withalongitudinal bore,said'bore being of K* increasedcross section betweenits ends, Va fiatl spring contact member fitting slidably inthe bore`and having its outer end arranged to resiliently engage the terminalofthe bulb and hold it in the socket, the other end of the contactmember extending outwardlyT of the insulatingmeansifor engagement withthe connector plug, and spring means housed within'the enlarged portionof the bore for yieldingly holding the contact member inengagement withthe bulb.. v

`4. In a lamp socket the combination of tuy bular means formed at oneend to vreceive the usual connector plug and at the other end toprovideiopposed sockets for receiving lamp bulbs, bulbs in the sockets,insulating means.

within and between the ends of-the tubular v means, said insulatingmeans being provided with a plurality of longitudinalbores,'said boresbeing of increased cross section between f their ends, contact` membersextending through thev bores and having theirouter Y VendsV return bentto yieldinglyl engage the`-` terminals of the bulbs'and hold themintheir sockets, the other ends of the contact members extendingoutwardly of the insulating .f means for engagement with the connector.i

plug, and spring means yhoused within the enlarged portions of the boresfor yieldingly i holdingthe contact members in engagement withtheirfrespective bulbs.r

In testimony whereof, IV hereunto aliix my HAR-OLD o. WHITE, Y

signature. i Y

